Lawn-mower.



0. M KEITH &E. LVEARLYL LAWN HOWBB. APPLICATION FILED :m1,l 1a, 190s.

907,371, P awua Dec. 22, 1908. I I ,/0 lf.; a sums-4mm 1.

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me Naam: PETERS co., wAsmNGroN, n4 c OSCAR M. KEITH AND EARNEST L.EARLY, OF NEWTON, IOWA.

LAWN-MOVIERI.

specification of Letters raient.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

Application led January 13, 1908. Serial No. 410,500.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, OSCAR M. KEITH and EARNEsT L. EARLY, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Newton, in the county of Jasper and Stateof'lowa, have invented a new and useful Lawn-Mower, of which thefollowing is a specification.`

Our invention relates to that class of lawn mowers in which a rotarycutter operates in conjunction with a stationary cutting blade, therotary cutter being propelled by power from a supporting wheel.

Our object is to provide a lawn mower of this class in which the bodyportion of the frame may be formed of sheet metal plates `so arrangedand combined with the rear shaft and the stationary cutting blade, as toprovide a strong, durable and inexpensive frame.

A further object is to provide a device of this kind in which thecutting blades are of greater length than the distance between the outerportions of the su portin wheels, so that the sup orting wheels will aways travel on a ath w ich is first traversed by the cutting lades. l

A further object is to provide improved bearing devices for supportingthe cutting blade, especiall designed for use in connection with the seet metal side plates of the frame.

Our invention consists in certain details in v the construction, andarrangement of the various parts of the device, whereby the objectscontem lated are attained, as hereinafter more fu ly set forth, pointedout in our claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 shows a to or plan view of a complete lawn mower em odying ourinvention. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of same. Fig. 3 shows a detailerspective view of one of the side plates of t e frame and the bearingdevices therein, the central bearing device being detached from theplate. Fig. 4 shows a sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 5, and Fig.5 shows an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, we have used the referencenumeral 10 to indicate the side lates of the frame. These are each madeo a single piece of plate metal having openings therein to receivebearing devices hereinafter described. These plates are straightthroughout their length, and can be prepared for use simply by punchingout the necessary holes for bearing devices, etc. At the rear ofeachplate 10 is a block 11 connected to the late by bolts 12, said blockbeing provided3 with a central opening arranged in line with a similaropenin in the plate 10, and it is also provided witi a pin opening 13extending transversely through it.

The rear axle is indicated by the numeral 14, and extends through theopenings in the plates 10, and through the openings in the blocks 11,and the through the ends of the rear axle and through the openings 13 tothereby firmly secure the axle to the side plates.

At the front end of each side plate is a bearing block 16 having acentral opening 17 and a bearing ball race-way 18 surrounding saidopening. The bearing block 16 is provided with a'lateral extension 19extended through an opening formed in the plate 10. Mounted on the outersurface of the bearing block 16 is a plate 20. The said plate and thebearing block 16 are connected with each other by means of bolts 21passing throu h them. Seated in the plate 2() is a set scr w 22 designedto enter the opening 17 of the bearing block. A lock nut 28 is providedon said set screw to engage the outer Vface of the plate 20. The forwardend of the frame is braced and supported by means of the stationarycutting blade 24 which has attached to its ends the brackets 25, each ofsaid brackets being provided with a slot `26 in which the screws 27 aremounted and inserted in the openings 28 in the plate 10. By this means,the forward ends of the plates 10 are firmly supported relative to eachother, and the cutting blade is adjustably fixed in position.

Connected with the cutting blade are the arms 29 in which a roller 30 isrotatably mounted, for supporting the forward portion of the lawn mower.

The rotary cutter comprises a shaft 31 and spiral cutting blades 32 ofthe ordinary construction, iixed to the shaft and designed to co-actwith the stationary cutting blade. The ends of the shaft 31. projectinto the bearing blocks 16 and are engaged by the bearing balls 33 inthe race-way 18. The set screw 22 is designed to engage the end of theshaft 31, and thus provides for adjusting the shaft 31 longitudinally.

By the arrangement of the bearing balls and the screw 22, the shaft 31may be prevented from binding and allowed to freely pins 15 are extendedsurface a gear 35.

rotate with a minimum of friction, and is yet held firmly in line bothagainst longitudinal g movement, and against vertical movement, thelatter being effected by the pointed ends of the screw 22 entering thecorresponding i notch in the end of the shaft 31. l'his feature isillustrated in liig. 5 by a dotted line.

Ve have provided for imparting motion to the rotary cutter as follows:ltotatably mounted upon the rear axle 14 are the sup-v porting wheels34. Each has on its outer Near the central portion of each of the sideplates 10, we have formed a rectangular opening 36, and in this openingis placed a bearing block 37 detachabl y held to the plate 10 by meansof the bolts 38. 1n the bearing block 37 is mounted a short shaft 39,and on the shaft S9 is a pinion 40, in mesh with the pinion 35. Mountedupon the shaft 31 near each end, is a small pinion 41 in mesh with thepinion 40. Formed within the pinion 41 are the ratchet teeth 42. Formedin the shaft 31 adjacent to the ratchet teeth 42 is a transverse slot 43in which a pawl 44 is slidingly mounted, said i paw] being so arrangedrelative to the ratchet teeth 42 that the pinion 41 will always turn theshaft 31 when the lawn mower is being moved forwardly, and the shaft 81will remain idle when the lawn mower is moved rearwardly. The pinion 41is held in position on the shaft 31 by means of a collar 45 held to theshaft 31 by the set screw 46.

The reference numeral 47 indicates a handle for operating the lawnmower, which handle is provided with extensions 48 which are pivoted bymeans of the bolts 49 to the side plates 10 near their central portions.Each side plate is provided with a pin 50 designed to engage the arms 48and limit their rearward movement so that the forward end of the lawnmower may be tilted up by pressing downwardly and rearwardly upon thehandle. Wife have also provided a casing for the gearing devices on eachside of the frame, which casing is preferably made of sheet metal and isindicated by the reference numeral 51, and is shaped to inclose saidgear wheels as well as the side plates 10, and is held to said sideplates by means of the l screws 52. In Fig. 2 of the drawings, the

shape of said casing in side elevation is indicated by dotted lines.

It is obvious that by means of the construction herein set forth, thelawn mower frame is provided of very simple, durable and inexpensiveconstruction, in which the cutting blade is of a length to overlap thepaths of the supporting wheels. Furthermore, by the arrangement of thevarious bearing devices upon the plates 10, said bearing devices may bequickly and easily assembled. Furthermore, the adjusting device for theshaft of the rotary cutting blades is of very simple and inexpensiveconstruction, and will permit of very accurate adjustment without unduefriction or lost motion.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Pat ent, is

A lawn mower comprising two straight side plates, an axle fixed to therear ends thereof, supporting wheels mounted on said rear axle, gearsfixed to said supporting wheels, detachable bearing blocks fixed to theside plates near their central portions, short shafts mounted therein,pinions on said shafts in mesh with the gears on the supporting wheels,detachable bearing blocks at the forward ends of said plates, a shaftrotatably mounted in said bearing blocks, adjustable set screws inengagement with the ends of said shaft, pinions on the end por# tions ofsaid. shaft, said pinions being in mesh with the pinions at the centralportions of the supporting plates, a rotary cutter mounted on the saidshaft, the said support ing wheels being both arranged within the pathof the rotary cutter, a stationary cutter blade fixed to the forwardends of the supporting plates, means for adjusting said sta tionaryblade vertically relative to the rotary cutter, and a handle pivoted tothe sides of the supporting lates.

Des Moines, owa, Nov. 7, 1907.

OSCAR M. KEITH. EARNEST L. EARLY. lVitnesses E. M. S, MCLAUGHLIN, W. R.COOPER.

